While getting yourself acquainted with the game, you can easily make items that can help you survive like weapons and supplementary items like the hammer. While these are easily craftable, there will come a time where these starter weapons will be insufficient for the dangers beyond the first boss, which is where you’ll start getting powerful metal weapons, with the first ones being made of the material of this list, Bronze.
A good thing to note is that Valheim’s linear progression of items, it opens you up to the possibility of getting the weapons as soon as possible, meaning once you unlock one item, you unlock all of the craftable items associated with them. With that being the case, choosing the best one is a challenging task, but certainly not hard as different weapons offer different strengths and weaknesses that we’ll discuss here.
As with all Valheim lists, this was written at the time of the games’ latest version (Hearth and Home Update, version 0.204.4). This list is based on overall useability and the likelihood of using it for its duration.
How Do You Get Bronze and Make Bronze Weapons?
To know what weapon you should get, you should know how to make the ores that make said ore. Bronze is the only metal that requires 2 kinds of metals, that being Copper and Tin. While it may sound complicated, it’s not, as they are farmed and made the same way, but enough of the intro, let’s get to how to get it.
As they are the first metals you’ll make, you’ll need to prep some things beforehand, namely making a Charcoal Kiln, and a Smelter. Both of the ones described are made using Surtling Cores and Stones, while the latter is easy to grab, the former requires you to find them in crypts along the Black Forest, which also houses other treasures.
We’ll tackle Copper and Tin at the same time, as both are found in the Black Forest biome, with Tin found near the coastal/water lines, while Copper is found on Copper Deposits on the land of the Black Forest, which looks like a very veiny boulder. Both are picked using a pickaxe (that you craft after killing the first boss Eikthyr), and will drop as Copper/Tin Ore. Once you get the ingots, you can combine them in the Forge to turn into Bronze. If you haven’t made the Forge, it’s made by combining Coal, Copper, Wood, and Stone, whereas Coal is simply made by burning the food you “cooked”. See? Mistakes can lead to good things.
Now on to the actual list.
6. Bronze Axe
Primarily used in cutting trees, but it has no issues cutting some enemies down to size.
What’s Good About the Bronze Axe?
If it has an edge, it can kill, and while this is more of a tool than a weapon, it will hack an unsuspecting enemy to shreds. While that’s the primary gist of it, it also includes the following uses below.
Bronze Axe:
- Has some damage towards smaller mobs
- Can be a weapon when you’re in a pinch
- Minimum for cutting Birch Trees for Fine Wood
The sole reason to carry it around is to have the ability to farm Fine Wood, which opens you to some other weapons in the game later on. Should this be your primary weapon to kill? I’d say not, as it’s not as durable as ready-made weapons in this list, and definitely should be something you’d only want when you only plan on cutting trees. Either way, you should be fine with this fine wood collecting tool.
How to Get the Bronze Axe?
Bronze Axe:
- Get Bronze
- Get Wood from trees or fallen branches
- Kill Boars for Leather Scraps
- Combine in the Forge
For a detailed look at the weapons stats, you may look at the table or use the key points below.
- Damage Profile: Slash
- Base Damage: 40
- Full Upgraded Damage: 55
- Minimum Crafting Area: Forge (Level 1)
5. Copper Knife
Small isn’t always bad as this unsuspecting weapon can help you with niche tasks.
What is Good About the Copper Knife?
It’s surprising to think that while generally, you use copper to make bronze, it’s the only weapon to be using only copper as the item by itself as it’s usually used to make miscellaneous items in the game. Getting back to the knife, the benefits include the following:
Copper Knife:
- Cheap to craft for a metal-based knife
- Better scaling given its upgrades
- Doesn’t need bronze to be made
A nice bump in usability and can get you through meadows level mobs better, and some black forest creatures, but again, it’s a nice cheap upgrade to the flint knife.
How to Get the Copper Knife?
Copper Knife:
- Make Copper
- Get Wood from trees or fallen branches
- Combine in the Forge
A very simple crafting recipe with surprisingly good damage when used with the backstab bonus. The biggest thing holding back the smallest weapon in the bunch is the niche playstyle of the backstab bonus along with the sneak mechanic, as the combination of the two will eat away at your stamina if you excessively move or use it, and even if you can use it as a regular weapon, it’s not ideal, and you’d be better off with something else. Either way, niche or not, it’s a weapon you can use if you want a more stealthy approach to hunting prey
For a detailed look at the knives’ stats, you may look at the table or use the key points below.
- Damage Type: Pierce / Slash
- Base Damage: 18
- Full Upgraded Damage: 24
- Minimum Crafting Area: Forge (Level 1)
4. Bronze Spear
Got no arrows on your bow? Then why not have something that is like an arrow, albeit shorter range, but still pretty effective.
What’s Good About the Bronze Spear?
Being a throwable weapon, this can offer versatile gameplay depending on the situation, which can benefit you in the ways listed below.
Bronze Spear:
- Good poke damage to enemies
- Effective in relatively close range, offering safety from mobs
- Throwable and reclaimable
I didn’t give it much thought initially, but after the changes to Valheim, via the Hearth and Home Update, this made more sense to me as I can’t just block and survive like the old patches, and instead of being in relative danger, this can further keep me safe, for as long as the enemy is directly in front of me. The throwable alternate attack is also nice as you can hunt things like Deer from afar and be able to pick it up afterward, though I wouldn’t take this attack when next to water as you will have a hard time getting it when it goes too deep or too far.
Should this be a weapon you should immediately get? Well, yes, but also no. Yes in the sense that it’s a good reliable weapon for what it is, but no because, whatever I said, also applies to the spears before and after it, so overall, you’re better off saving Bronze for something else, such as the other weapons in this list.
How to Get the Bronze Spear?
Bronze Spear:
- Get Bronze
- Kill Deer to get Deer Hide
- Get Wood from trees or fallen branches
- Combine in the Forge
For a detailed look at the weapons stats, you may look at the table or use the key points below.
- Damage Profile: Pierce
- Base Damage: 35
- Full Upgraded Damage: 53
- Minimum Crafting Area: Forge (Level 1)
3. Bronze Atgeir
From a long, Bronze-based weapon, to another Bronze-based weapon, the Bronze Atgeir offers a wider (and bigger) range of combat for your Viking.
What’s Good About the Bronze Atgeir?
The Bronze Atgeir is a dual-wielded weapon that offers excellent battle stats and safety via the range it is effective on. As it is a dual-handed weapon, it’s a little different in use, as seen below.
Bronze Atgeir:
- Relatively fast combo animations than other dual handed weapons
- The alternate attack does good pierce damage on a targeted enemy
- A very good dual-handed weapon for single target
While it does feel better as a pure damaging, combat-oriented weapon, this can get overshadowed in terms of longevity compared to something like a Stagbreaker, which is made only of wood and doesn’t make a whole lot of sense as a primary as you’d easily disposed of it once you get to higher tier materials. Despite that, I’d still take a Bronze Atgeir in the aspect of damaging enemies from a safe distance, and while your stamina bar will say otherwise, this weapon can do a lot, when used in the right hands.
How to Get the Bronze Atgeir?
Bronze Atgeir:
- Get Bronze
- Get Wood from trees or fallen branches
- Kill Boars for Leather Scraps
- Combine in the Forge
For a detailed look at the weapons stats, you may look at the table or use the key points below.
- Damage Profile: Pierce
- Base Damage: 45
- Full Upgraded Damage: 63
- Minimum Crafting Area: Forge (Level 1)
2. Bronze Sword
With the first of the metals come the first of the weapons you’ll think about crafting, the Bronze Sword.
What’s Good About the Bronze Sword?
Swords are often the first weapons you’d craft, and Valheim is no different, offering good combat stats and a relatively balanced damage output relative to the enemies you’d face in the game. Below are just a few things that make the sword great.
Bronze Sword:
- Good starting item for those doing melee combat
- Durable enough for a short expedition/scouting adventure
- Decent damage to weaker mobs
As clearly stated, the point of the sword is damage, damage, and yes, damage. In all seriousness though, this weapon is a safe option for those not knowing what to craft as a starter for their inventory. It’s a massive upgrade in terms of what slash-type weapons come before it (which is almost non-existent early on, to begin with) and is even useable towards the mid-game like Swamp-runs. Going back to upgrades, upgrading it is pretty expensive, and by the time you’d have that done, you’ve most likely moved on to better tier weapons, so in short, longevity is decent up until you can grab something of better quality in the next tier of weapons.
How to Get the Bronze Axe?
Bronze Sword:
- Get Bronze
- Get Wood from trees or fallen branches
- Kill Boars for Leather Scraps
- Combine in the Forge
For a detailed look at the weapons stats, you may look at the table or use the key points below.
- Damage Profile: Slash
- Base Damage: 35
- Full Upgraded Damage: 53
- Minimum Crafting Area: Forge (Level 1)
1. Bronze Mace
Last and certainly the best of the Bronze weapons in this list is the Bronze Mace with clubbing power to last you a good while.
What’s Good About the Bronze Mace?
Given how you’re gonna be raiding crypts in the Black Forest often, the Bronze Mace is the best weapon you can carry, as not many mobs are immune to the blunt damage type it offers, and that surprisingly carries over to later aspects of the game, which is listed alongside the other good things below.
Bronze Mace:
- Good damage across the mobs you’ll face
- Stats are nearly triple the Club
- Upgraded Bronze Maces can work in the Swamp
Given how basic the weapons are at the beginning of the game, going from that to something that offers about 3 times the usability and power is a dealbreaker for those wanting something that can do a number on their foes. What is surprising here is that the blunt damage profile of the Bronze Mace is perfect for the location of the next tier of metals, that being the Swamps. Carrying this around to a crypt where the deadliest of poison-inflicting mobs are weak is a massive usability boost, making the other weapons look disposable. That being said, the Bronze Mace hits more than its intended tier says it goes up to and is, in this list, the best Bronze weapon you can craft in this game.
How to Get the Bronze Mace?
Bronze Mace:
- Get Bronze
- Get Wood from trees or fallen branches
- Kill Boars for Leather Scraps
- Combine in the Forge
For a detailed look at the weapons stats, you may look at the table or use the key points below.
- Damage Profile: Blunt
- Base Damage: 35
- Full Upgraded Damage: 53
- Minimum Crafting Area: Forge (Level 1)
